Department of State


	Office of the Secretary Nina Mitchell Wells
	Divisions and Agencies of the Department of State
	Amistad Commission
	Division of Archives & Records Management
	Division of Community Services
	The NJ Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission
	NJ Cultural Trust
	NJ Historical Commission
	NJ State Council on the Arts
	NJ State Museum
	Office Faith Based Initiatives
	Patriots Theater at the War Memorial

	Themes:

	Arts & Culture
	Archives, History & Genealogy
	Volunteerism & Community Service
	Diversity & Multicultural Affairs
	Education
	Public Records Administration
	Business & Corporate Information

Home > Divisions and Agencies of the Department of State > Divisions

Divisions

AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America
Amistad Commission
Division of Archives and Records Management
Division of Elections
Division of Travel and Tourism
Governor's Office of Volunteerism
New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs
New Jersey Cultural Trust
New Jersey Historical Commission
New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission
New Jersey State Council on the Arts
New Jersey State Museum
Office Faith Based Initiatives
Patriots Theaters at the War Memorial
In but not of the Department of State:

AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America
The New Jersey Commission on National and Community Service through AmeriCorps deploys 500 members of all ages and backgrounds to meet community needs in the priority areas of human services, education, disaster response, and the environment. The program is federally funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Commission funds 17 programs statewide. New Jersey has been recognized nationally for some of the most innovative programs in the country.
Learn and Serve America, which provides federal grants to school districts to engage students in service-learning, is federally funded. Service-learning infuses community service into the curriculum and helps students develop civic engagement, academic competency, and leadership.
Link to Website
Amistad Commission
The New Jersey Amistad Commission was established by the Amistad Bill (A1301), which became law in 2002. This state-level Commission surveys, designs, and promotes the implementation of educational and awareness programs in New Jersey concerned with the vestiges of slavery and the contributions of African-Americans. The Commission also conducts:
- Workshops
- Institutes & Seminars through the state and nationally
- Statewide Professional Conferences
- Summer Teacher Institute -Curriculum Development
New Jersey is the first state to create an Amistad Commission and several other legislatures throughout the country have expressed interest in following New Jersey’s model. Recently, New York and Illinois have formed Amistad Commissions.
Link to Website
Division of Archives and Records Management
The Department of State’s Division of Archives and Records Management (DARM) holds in trust the public records of New Jersey: one of the oldest and most vital functions of government. IT oversees public records administration by all state and local government agencies in New Jersey. DARM possesses statutory and regulatory authority to establish the framework for systematic, efficient management of public records in all forms and media for their entire lifecycle. The division’s major programs and services include:
- The State Archives
- Records Management Services
- Records Storage Services
- Imaging Services
Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support (PARIS) County and Municipal Grant Program.
Link to Website
Division of Elections
The Division of Elections responsibilities include certification of voting machines for use in all elections, filing officer for all federal and state public elective offices, overseeing compliance with polling place accessibility for elderly and voters with disabilities, regulatory authority for voter registration, political party declarations, absentee voting, election district requirements and polling place accessibility.
Link to Website
Division of Travel and Tourism
The Division of Travel and Tourism is charged with fostering economic growth by increasing tourism expenditures and visitation, encouraging the long-term viability of New Jersey's precious natural resources, arts, historical and cultural institutions - all while presenting New Jersey as a premier travel destination. Encompassing conventional and new media, "in-person" presence at industry and related trade shows, aggressive marketing efforts within key destinations, and grant programs to fortify the promotional efforts of New Jersey tourism industry, the Division of Travel and Tourism provides an instrumental service to expanding one the Garden State's indisputable lifeblood industries.
Link To Website
Governor's Office of Volunteerism
The Governor’s Office of Volunteerism promotes and recognizes the service of New Jersey’s vibrant volunteer community. The Office develops strategic partnerships with corporations, public agencies, foundations, community-based and faith-based organizations to support the service of volunteers. The Office also assists the mission of the county-based Volunteer Centers, responsible for volunteer recruitment, screening, training, and matching of volunteers with agencies and individuals who need their support. The work of the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism is assisted by the Governor’s Advisory Council on Volunteerism and Community Service.
Link to Website
New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs
Created by P.L.1995, c.295, the New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs’ mission is to ensure that the American Indian communities within the State of New Jersey have full opportunities for their cultural, educational, social, economic, health and welfare development. The Commission also works to contribute to and participate in the on-going life and development of the State’s extended family. The Commission works to promote understanding and knowledge of the American Indian communities of the State.
Link to Website
New Jersey Cultural Trust
The New Jersey Cultural Trust’s mission is to ensure a stable and healthy cultural industry in New Jersey that is sustainable under fluctuating economic conditions. It is a long-term effort to build the financial and organizational capacity of New Jersey’s cultural organizations. The Cultural Trust Act, signed into law July 2000 created a public-private partnership to raise $200 million over ten years to be invested either in the Cultural Trust Fund itself or in the endowments of arts and history organizations. The State’s contribution was to be $10 million a year to serve as the match for an equal contribution from the private sector.
The Cultural Trust Fund, now over $21 million, is a permanent investment fund that earns revenue annually to support grants for financial stabilization, endowments, and critical capital needs of cultural organizations, areas not supported by other grant programs. The Council on the Arts, the Historical Commission and the Historic Trust act as “recommending agencies” and conduct the grant programs that result in funding recommendations.
Link to Website
New Jersey Historical Commission
The New Jersey Historical Commission was established by legislation adopted in 1966 (N.J.S.A. 18A: 73-21—25), which authorizes the Commission “to formulate and implement historical programs and publications, to improve historical knowledge, and to inspire public pride in the rich history of New Jersey.”
The following describes the range of activities:
- Grants
- Media Projects and Publications
- Public Programs Curriculum Support to Teachers and Schools
- Curriculum Support to Teachers and Schools
Link to Website
New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission
The New Jersey State Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission was created on September 25, 1984, under Executive Order No. 83. A permanent Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission was established by P.L. 1989, c. 188, and signed into law on September 26, 1989, making New Jersey the first state in the nation to secure a legislated Commission.
The New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission sponsors a wide array of educational and cultural programs that include but are not limited to the following:
- The King Holiday Commemorative Celebration
- Scholarship Program
- Internship Program
- Grant Program
- Violence Free Youth Program
- Traveling Photo Exhibit
Link to Website
New Jersey State Council on the Arts
The mission of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts is to improve the quality of life of the state by helping the arts to flourish. This year alone its numerous funding programs and services will support the cultural activities of more than 700 organizations presenting public events numbering nearly 20,000. The Council is nationally regarded as a leader in promoting arts education, reaching underserved communities, encouraging community development through the arts, commissioning art in public places, addressing the needs of persons with disabilities, marketing the arts, and fostering partnerships and collaborations that both extend resources entrusted to its care far beyond their modest limitations and encourage private investment.
Link to Website
New Jersey State Museum
Founded in 1895, the Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and interpret the cultural and natural history of New Jersey to visitors of all ages and diverse backgrounds and to preserve in conjunction with Historic Morven, Inc. the landmark property called Morven. To this end, the Museum presents exhibitions, educational programs, publications and other services that interpret its collections in archaeology/ethnology, decorative arts, fine arts and natural history.
The Museum which is located only a half block from the State Capitol in a 1964 building is currently undergoing major renovations and upgrades. While the Main Building is undergoing renovation, the Museum continues to provide school programs in its 384-seat Auditorium and 145-seat Planetarium—the largest in New Jersey. Exhibitions are still offered in its galleries in the Auditorium and in 225 West State Street and through a traveling exhibition shown at various state parks, museums, libraries, county colleges, and tourism centers throughout the State.
The Museum has recently been reaccredited for ten years by the American Association of Museums.
Link to Website
Office Faith Based Initiatives
The New Jersey Office of Faith Based Initiatives' mission is to establish non-profit social service funding, create greater access for partnerships and enhance the capacity of faith and community based organizations to effectively design and implement successful programming and efficiently manage the day to day operations of their respective organizations.
Additionally, the Office of Faith Based Initiatives is an outreach and referral program that successfully connects welfare to work clients to gap services that they are eligible to receive but for which they may not have knowledge.
Link to Website
Patriots Theaters at the War Memorial
Located on Memorial Drive in Trenton, New Jersey, the War Memorial has served the state capital and central New Jersey since 1932. The building of the War Memorial was funded through a public-private fundraising effort including private citizens, the City of Trenton, the County of Mercer and the State of New Jersey in the late 1920's into the early 1930's. In the 1990's the State of New Jersey made a $35 million investment in the renovation of the War Memorial, creating the most technically sophisticated and culturally significant performing arts center in the state, after the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.
The War Memorial has earned acclaim as much for its architectural splendor as for its success as one of the region's top performing arts venues and conference centers. Over the decades, the War Memorial has served as a backdrop for presidents and governors, ballerinas and divas, maestros and magicians, jazz and jokes, crooners and conference, as well as for the top tier of New Jersey's governmental, social cultural, and business leadership.
Patriots Theaters at the War Memorial proudly hosts a diverse and exciting array of theatrical and concert events—from comedy to ballet, from opera to gospel, from international to jazz, from classical to country to rock, pop and folk.
The War Memorial is the most visited state facility in the Capitol Complex.
Link to Website
In but not of the Department of State:
New Jersey Network www.njn.net
Commission on Higher Education www.state.nj.us/highereducation/
Higher Education Student Assistance Authority www.hesaa.org/
New Jersey State Library www.njstatelib.org/
Morven Museum and Garden www.historicmorven.org
Old Barracks Museum www.barracks.org/